Best dog breeds books according to redditors
We found 348 Reddit comments discussing the best dog breeds books. We ranked the 135 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 348 Reddit comments discussing the best dog breeds books. We ranked the 135 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Good call, completely forgot about the greys whining every night when we first got them (not sure how I could with the lack of sleep).
For anyone actually considering adopting, I highly recommend this book or take a stroll over to /r/Greyhounds.
> Make sure you have a veterinarian who is aware of the unique care requirements of this type of dog.
100% agree.
I'm going to hijack the top comment because it's related.
People! If you want to rescue a dog that is already trained (leash, crate, house is rarely ever an issue. They're eager to learn sit/stay types of household commands), look into getting a retired racing greyhound or Galgo for our friends in Europe. There are TONS of these dogs who are abandoned after their racing/hunting careers, and best case, end up in rescues.
Greyhounds are sweet, gentle dogs that generally don't suffer any physical consequences of their racing past (just typical big dog hip-type issues. Injuries on the track are usually documented, so you should be aware of anything like that). And the best thing about them is that they have been bred to be on a track or in a crate, which means that they are LAZY. I'm talking 20 hours of sleep a day, and they require little exercise relative to most dog breeds, and are generally do not bark. They are without a doubt one of the best large dog breeds to have if you live in an apartment or condo.
If you have any questions, ask and I'll do my best to answer!
Edit: thanks for the feedback and questions everyone! I'll heading to job #2 right now but will answer any new or unanswered questions I can I about 4 hours. In the meantime, this is a great book on adopting retired race dogs. It's cheap, a quick read, and contains more than enough information to help you get a feeling for what it's like to give one of these great dogs a home, given their odd background.
Adopting the Racing Greyhound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNL10KM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oyvTAbQ2WGGW6
The big thing here is you are not actually FIXING the problem. Telling a dog he can't sleep on the bed does not teach him how to not be aggressive! Making him wait for his food before eating can help with self control but will not teach him how to not lash out at people he deems untrustworthy. Among other things, that is one of my BIGGEST issues with Cesar Millan is that you are taking things away and punishing your dog, but never actually teaching them how they actually need to behave to TRIGGERS. More exercise is good for general behavior, using a wait is good for manners, not letting the dog on the bed is honestly a wash for this whole situation.
Talk to a veterinary behaviorist trainer or an applied animal behavior consultant who uses positive reinforcement. Fighting aggression with aggression is one of the WORST things you can do and only poses YOURSELF as a threat to the dog, making you a target for fear and aggression, yourself. If you really want to follow dominance theory/pack theory, that is your choice - but drop Cesar Millan. Just because he is on TV REALLY doesn't make him out to be a quality trainer. Instead, check out some of the leading dog trainers in the field: Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Emily Larlham or Patricia B. McConnell
In the mean time - use a muzzle! Be sure you properly condition wearing a muzzle, don't just shove it on your dog and hope he is fine with it (this can often increase aggressiveness or reactivity out of frustration or fear). Use a basket style muzzle to allow him to drink and breath comfortably and show him how rewarding wearing it can be.
Also check out the /r/dogtraining/wiki book list - I would encourage you to pick up Dont Shoot the Dog, The Culture Clash, The Power of Positive Dog training and a few titles from the Reactivity/Aggression section to help YOU learn the skills you will need to help your dog through his issues.
Training is not entirely the dogs issue, it is also an issue with the handlers. Be sure the trainer you work with is working with YOU just as much or more than they work with the actual dog. It is important that you know and understand the concepts being taught so you can continue training once the trainer has left - shipping the dog away to 'training school' is often ineffective for this very reason (they learn skills in 'school' but their owners do not know how to properly use those skills with their dog as they were not directly involved with training.)
Right now, this dog can be very dangerous to anyone. It is definitely worth working with a trainer through these issues before a bite accident occurs. It will take time, patience, consistency and WORK, but it can be done! Good luck!
It really doesn't sound like this is going to be a good environment to raise a healthy, well behaved dog. I think you guys need to put the hard brakes on this decision and reevaluate your choice here...but I somehow doubt your family is going to say no to a puppy so...
Leaving it alone all day will almost certainly create behavioral issues (chewing, self harm, destruction, barking, anxiety, aggression, etc). That's not a nice life for a dog, especially a puppy by itself. I leave my dog 6-8 hours, but he's grown and I know he can handle it thanks to the looong walks we take before and after work, and all the other work I've put into training him and steps I take to prevent separation anxiety. People have to go to work, but look into daycare or at the very least crate training to help. Try to get the family to re-prioritize getting home sooner to let the dog out.
>they're kinda crazy and very yappy / bark a lot.
A dog's behavior is 80% a direct reflection of the owner. Although this can be complicated when the dog has been adopted by various people. Sometimes the current owner is dealing with someone else's mistakes.
If dogs could be BRED to BEHAVE then there would be a lot more "naturally well-behaved" dogs. Breed and other genetic factors can play a part in your dog's personality, but early exposure and training will always be the PRIMARY determining factors of how your dog behaves.
Small dogs and big dogs have the same brains. People try to act like they're almost separate species in order to excuse their bad training. You will see more yappy little dogs because people let them get away with it. A german shepard that angrily barks and lunges at anyone passing by is not going to be around for long.
Dogs are a lot of work, especially the first year of training. You will get what you give with a dog. The dog's energy level matters, this is the 20% inherent personality that you have to shape and influence with your 80% training. Regardless of breed, you can find a low-energy, high-tolerance puppy in most litters...but it sounds like you picked a random pup, so it's luck of the draw for you. Might be the high-energy, reactive pup of the litter, or something in between.
Training a pom can be hard because they are cute and tiny and it's easy to let them get away with very bad behaviors that you would never tolerate from a big dog. I found it helped to always imagine that my tiny fuzz ball would one day be growing up to be a Samoyed. Would I let a Samoyed puppy jump and bark and bite, knowing that behavior would soon becoming from a 100lb dog? No way! So same for a tiny pom.
I read all of Cesar Milan's books, and also Monks of New Skete. There are also some good youtube channels to check out. At the very least watch the "what to do before/the day you bring home a puppy" vids, so you get the crucial first step right! Zach George channel and perhaps most helpful; "are you ready for a dog?"
Cesar is pretty strict with dogs, more about obedience/dominance
The Monks are middle ground
Zach is very positive reinforcement/treats
So check them all out a bit and see what style will realistically work for you and your family (could even do various approaches from different people).
Honestly it seems to me like it's almost the norm for people to impulse buy/adopt dogs, be very lazy about training, and leave them home 8-12 hours a day. You're not doing anything outlandish. However the consequences of these decisions remain. The fact that you clearly care about what happens with this dog should go a long way. All it takes is someone stopping for a minute to consider the dog's needs, rather than only the humans' needs, and you'll be on your way. Feel free to ask questions or PM me.
edit: other random pom-specific advice!
http://www.petpom.com/ -- this website has a lot of info you need! Buying their PDF is worthwhile.
Don't cut or shave the fur, esp in the first year, or the coat will be ruined.
Little dogs need lots of exercise too, multiple daily walks for their mental health. They are tiny so the walks can be sort.
Poms can be quite fragile so be careful. #1 cause of death in poms is being dropped. Be wary of letting strangers hold your dog.
Poms are subject to low blood sugar and seizures, so make sure as a baby it eats often.
Dogs are never too young to be trained. Start from day 1. The first few months are mainly about establishing a relationship and communication though.
Dog health insurance is a good idea, there's a comparison website online for plans in your area
Good dog food is a long term investment for the health of your dog. Cheap food = expensive health problems. You can also google the best brands of foods. I usually go for Acana or Wellness. Human food can also give them the same health problems so avoid it as much as possible!
Training Positive is one of the best resources out there for newbies, IMO. He has a variety of different behaviors and really explains the WHY very well, so ideally you can take the information and apply it to behaviors he doesn't even cover. His information is all accurate and up-to-date with scientific research. He explains things very well -- I watch his videos to get ideas on how to better explain concepts. This is a good place to start!
As for books: Don't Shoot The Dog is a great one by Karen Pryor. She compares the same learning and behavior principals to people, which I think is hugely helpful in dog training (it's better to focus on our similarities than our differences). For actually teaching specific behaviors, The Power of Positive Dog Training is fantastic. Super simple, practical guides with explanations of WHY it works behaviorally.
Good luck in your research!! Already you're off to a great start just for being WILLING to research.
The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant is a great, great read for any dog lover. I highly recommend it. Some parts are tough to get through, but the books is amazing and heart felt.
say you're an idiot and you want a dog.
you want a dog that proves you are a tough cool guy and you're poor from spending all your money on BMX bikes, so you accept a gift puppy from your idiot neighbor who won't spay his bitch. (problem one: too many pitbull-mix puppies are produced by idiots who won't spay their dogs)
you are happy with your dig because the dog is a pit-bull, this confirms your self image as a tough guy with a tough dog. luckily for you the dog is a male, but you won't get him neutered because having an intact and therefore manly dog chained up in your yard makes you feel like your house is better protected. (problem two: idiots also don't neuter their male dogs)
so you chain or lock your dog up in the front yard and provide minimal care after he stops being cute, you give the dog an idiot name like "Cujo" to further reinforce that you only own this dog because it reinforces your own self image as a tough guy who totally does not have a micro-penis. (this is also why this sort of moron drives a giant truck)
so the dog is untrained, malnourished, and living in filth. because you are an idiot it is also in the front yard. before your dog can bite somebody, due to your idiot negligence, somebody scoops in and takes the dog to the pound.
now we have an unadoptable pit-bull mix. and because this situation is fairly common, we now have a lot of similar looking unadoptable dogs all together in the same pound. whenever a dog that doesn't fit this bill comes in, it is adopted faster than one of the hoard of pit-mixes just for looking more adoptable, meaning that they continue to be a bigger percentage of the total in-custody dog population.
TLDR: because idiots want a dog that will make them look tough, and idiots are terrible dog owners.
a rescued pit mix can be a perfectly nice dog, a purebred golden retriever bought from a reputable breeder and raised from a puppy can be a total crazy-pants.
it all depends on the owner.
A question for you to consider before I go into some recs for you: Have you considered the size of the dog relative to your flat? Small/medium dogs can be easier to manage in a smaller living space, and it’s important to consider personality as well (calm v. high-energy will help if you have to leave).
The solution my partner and I have come up with:
Another option that we did not care for, but many people recommended: hire a professional, trustworthy dog-walker to come by once or twice a day to give the dog emotional and physical stimulation, and let the dog relieve itself.
I highly recommend a training guide (books or videos) if you do decide to adopt a new friend—partner, myself, and dog really benefited from Zak George’s “Dog Training Revolution” and he has many supplementary videos on YouTube as well.
Tl;dr: I am a talkative dog person with lots of advice for managing a furry friend that you will either love or hate.
Why is the automatic assumption here that if scientists all agree that the evidence contradicts your cherished belief then it must be because they're biased leftists who are hiding it away as "forbidden knowledge"? This is the exact same argument that the creationists made, like in Ben Stein's "Expelled" documentary but we laughed at them when they tried to say science was biased against them, why would we suddenly take your anti-scientific arguments seriously?
The problem with the pitbull myth is that it's based on incredibly weak evidence, which is summarised quite well by this study here:
>Despite human directed aggression being a serious public health issue, there has been limited systematic research into potential risk factors. Existing studies provide useful insights but many have utilised populations with inherent biases, do not have controls for comparison, or have used multiple univariable analyses with associated risk of Type 1 errors. Previous studies have investigated four population types: hospital recorded bite victims (e.g. De Keuster et al., 2006; Morgan and Palmer, 2007); clinical populations from specialist behaviour clinics (e.g. Bamberger and Houpt, 2006; Fatjo et al., 2007) or general veterinary practices (e.g. Guy et al., 2001a,b,c); temperament screening for particular populations or breeds of dogs (e.g. Ott et al., 2008; Borg et al., 2010), and surveys of dog owners (e.g. O'Sullivan et al., 2008; Hsu and Sun, 2010). Inherent biases are associated with the first three populations, and the latter may be biased depending on recruitment. For example, large breed dogs are more likely to cause injuries to children requiring hospital treatment (Overall and Love, 2001), and incidences with owned dogs have been reported to be less likely to be associated with injuries requiring medical attention than those occurring in public places (Cornelissen and Hopster, 2010). Clinical populations are likely to involve a sub-set of owners willing to invest in treatment, may be biased towards larger breed dogs where aggression is less easy to tolerate, and towards family rather than stranger directed aggression (Bamberger and Houpt, 2006). Temperament testing studies generally utilise specific populations with putatively increased risk, such as rescue centres (Bollen and Horowitz, 2008), military dogs (Haverbeke et al., 2009) or associated with legislation (Schalke et al., 2008), and hence may also not necessarily be representative of the general population. Although owner surveys may overall seem a less biased population, biases can also occur due to different methods of recruitment (Asher et al., 2011)
Basically, a lot of the data comes from dog bite statistics, which is obviously not a good source of data if our interest is in whether pitbulls are innately more aggressive or not - because, of course, such data will be swayed by things like the severity of the bite, the overall number of that breed vs other breeds, the accuracy of the victim to identify the breed, etc.
The last part there is particularly important given that the category of 'pit bull' used in clinical data on dog bites can include up to 7-10 different breeds (sometimes including breeds like the American Bulldog, which has a completely different genetic ancestral line from the American pitbull terrier, making genetic claims a little difficult!) so not only are we grouping together a number of dogs so that their overall bite rate will necessarily be higher (i.e. if we combined 6 other random breeds together then their total will drastically increase too) but people are understandably terrible at identifying what breeds are including in this diverse category called "pit bull".
So what does the evidence suggest is a predictor of aggressive behavior? [Well, factors like whether they are rescue dogs and their training experience are the main predictors (with breed explaining very little of the variance).
But let's assume that all of the evidence above is liberal claptrap. Here's an article which might be viewed as more 'balanced' as they go into detail on some of the genetic effects on aggression, and note some of the aggressive features of the pitbull. However, even these authors note that pitbull aggression appears only to be significant when looking at attacks on other animals, whereas attacks on people was within the average for all breeds.
The fact of the matter is that the higher the standard of evidence we use to judge whether pitbulls are innately aggressive, the less we find to support that claim. When we look at controlled assessments of aggression we find that pitbulls are within the normal range, when objective and neutral organisations like the AVMA review the literature they find no evidence that pitbulls are uniquely aggressive. A lot of what fuels the misconception is that pitbulls, when they bite, can do a lot of damage - as any big dog can. But if we were to successfully manage to ban pitbulls, and destroy every last one that existed, we wouldn't see a decrease in dog bites - we'd just see last decade's 'dangerous dog' come back. Which raises another question - since pitbull bites have only become noticeable in the last 20 years, what kind of genetic effect are we expecting to have occurred worldwide in that time?
And just to cut off a possible objection here, none of the above denies that genetic differences can exist between breeds. Saying "But we know X was bred for Y, how can you deny that?!" doesn't support the claim that pitbulls are: a) innately aggressive, or b) more aggressive than other breeds. Even ignoring the discussion above about "pitbull" consisting of at least 5+ breeds with different genetic histories, the fact that people wanted them to be aggressive doesn't mean that they succeeded in doing so. And looking at the current evidence, that seems to be the case. So pointing out artificial selection attempts is definitely a good reason for hypothesizing that an effect might exist - but the lack of empirical evidence for an effect means that there's no good reason for continuing to argue it on this point.
Finally, I just want to highlight this book: "Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon" which is an excellent historical analysis into the moral panic and pearl clutching over pitbulls, explaining that a lot of the myth was started because of the close association pitbulls had to minority racial groups. In other words, it seems like the rise in hysterics over pitbulls and the rejection of empirical evidence on the matter goes hand in hand with racism against the common owner of pitbulls... Effectively, just like moronic white nationalists reject evidence on crime to try to push pseudoscientific beliefs like "black people are innately more likely to commit violent crime!", there is essentially 'racism' against pitbulls by proxy.
Actually, it would be a really interesting discussion if Harris could get a scientist on to discuss the moral panic over pitbulls. It's an excellent example of how emotion has ruled policy and scientific evidence is often ignored!
My favorite dog training book: Power of Positive Dog Training
Gives you the basics of learning theory, and the 4 quadrants of reward vs punishment. Explains marker training (with a clicker or anything else). Has a 6 week program to follow with your dog for basic obedience commands and some fun tricks and explains each step in detail.
Edit: Oops, I linked amazon.ca by accident. It's also available at amazon.com if you're in the states.
this book talks about the study of littermate syndrome.
The best start is going to be laying the foundations of communication and a positive relationship. Dog training books are like scripture: highly open to interpretation. The most comprehensive guide I've found that has the most cohesive and wholesome explanation of working with dogs is written by a close mentor and dear friend, Pat Miller, it's called The power of positive dog training
It has a pretty great explanation of separation anxiety, and a list of activities to strengthen your dogs trust in your actions and confidence in itself, as well as a very dry and truthful anecdote about understanding the significance of specific breed characteristics
Fair warning: I don't agree with everything in the book, but 90% of it is spot on. Check out 'Relatioship-Based Approach to Dog Training' — just take whatever info you find with a grain of salt, your gut is typically right
>Will the puppies that come out LOOKING more like the GSD parent MOST LIKELY have most "GSD traits", and the puppies with the physical appearance of the lab have a higher propensity for the "lab traits"? Or is it 100% random?
In by far the most authoritative long-term study ever done, Scott and Fuller experimented with cross breeds and found, for example, that a puppy from Cocker and Basenji parents that looks like a Cocker is not more likely to behave like a Cocker than like a Basenji, but is most likely to show less extreme behavior traits than either breed.
>The results of this experiment are almost completely negative with regard to the hypothesis that coat color, hair length or "somatype" is strongly correlated with temperament and behavior.
About choosing a puppy, there are many puppy temperament tests, and some are pretty complicated. Research has not found a strong predictive value for any of them except some sensitivity tests, like reaction to wheeled objects like carts and bikes, and the "fetch test", and only if the tests are performed several times. For example:
>Fetch is taught entirely by play methods, except that the leash is used to direct the puppy to the tester the first and second week. The leash is also used if the puppy fails to bring the object directly to her. A rubber ball or tennis ball is used in teaching fetch. If the puppy simply goes to the object the first time it is considered satisfactory, but we have many puppies who pick the ball up the first time and come directly back with it. We also have pheasant and duck wings for the puppy who has no interest in a ball. Many shepherds as well as retrievers will bring a wing but will not pick up a ball.
>We have come to the conclusion that what we are testing here is the puppy's willingness to do something for the tester. The desired result is to get the puppy to go merrily to the object, pick it up and bring it back to the tester's hand. The first week we give the puppy three chances to fetch after it has had a chance to smell the ball, see it bounce and roll, and gotten adjusted to the room. The tests start with the first command given; "Puppy, fetch." The second week the puppy has four chances, still on leash. The third week he is given five chances, starting off lead and reverting to the lead if it is necessary to get the puppy to come to the tester with the object. The fourth week the puppy has three chances. The fifth week the puppy has only three chances again. Any puppy who is not bringing the object to the tester off lead in the fifth week is rejected, for it will not make a Guide Dog. Usually such a rejected puppy can be taught to retrieve without much difficulty, but we have found that one who will not learn in the time allotted will not be a willing worker as a Guide Dog. This applies equally to all breeds that we have tested and trained.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Knowledge-Behavior-Dogwise-Classics/dp/1929242042
I came here to say this, glad you beat me to it. I learned a similar technique from Pat Miller, who advises teaching some problem barkers to bark on cue as a prerequisite to teaching the quiet command by rewarding pauses in barking. Karen Pryor also puts barking on cue as part of her 'paired cues' technique. Just goes to show there are a lot of neat positive techniques for dealing with barking, if only more owners would do the research.
Apologies if I repeat things mentioned elsewhere. I'm looking at a sleeping, year old lab/border collie mix, so I still have a lot of this info fresh.
Love the crap out of your dog! You are looking at a year and change that will not only define your dog for the rest of their life, but will be the hardest part of raising a dog. I've wanted to ring his little neck more times than I care to mention, but goddamn I love this dog and I'm pretty sure he likes me.
Sorry for the wall of text. I typically lurk, but having gone (still going) through this, it's good to take a second and think about what worked, and what didn't.
Good luck and I wish you both the best!
I found The Wind Book For Rifle Shooters to be a fantastic primer. It is conversational (kind of feels like you're having a chat with a kind uncle), but doesn't shy away from the math... and it just gets you to think about the wind and its effects properly.
I highly recommend it, even if it doesn't seem to get a lot of airtime here.
I’d recommend Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution It’s a book but I got the audiobook and it only takes a couple hours to get through but it tells you everything you need to know
I love Oogy! That book is so great. There's a book about the Vick dogs too, but be warned, you will cry for days and probably turn into a bitter asshole like me.
Loved this book. Dr. McConnell had 2 or 3 border collies at the time of that book and has had them her whole adult life. she uses them on her sheep farm as herding dogs. She is also an animal/dog behaviorist.
Stanley Coren has some good ones too like this on on How Dogs Think, this one on How to Speak Dog, and this one on The Intelligence of Dogs.
Monks of new skete "Art of Raising a Puppy". The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316083275/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GPfOBb4SH8CCF
A Dog Who's Always Welcome: Assistance and Therapy Dog Trainers Teach You How to Socialize and Train Your Companion Dog was one of the first books I read when I got my puppy. Might be a good starting point for you.
My first suggestion would be to read some literature on the history of the breed. You’ll be her advocate, and while hopefully you won’t have to defend her breed often, you may need to at some point. Knowing their history and how they got the (absolutely unfair) reputation they have now is a great tool to have in these circumstances. I’ve very rarely had anyone blatantly disregard the breed, but even friends and family have mentioned things like the lock jaw myth to me, in which I was able to kindly educate them. Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey is a great one. I also loved The Pit Bull Life by Deidre Franklin.
As other have said, socialize her often! The sooner they learn how to make friends with strangers and new dogs, the better.
Be prepared for allergies! We have ours on a grain-free diet after a handful of breakouts after food or treats. He used to take allergy meds, but after we switched to grain free and started wiping him down with hypoallergenic wipes after hikes and such, we have it under control without medicine.
They’re working dogs, so they need both mental and physical stimulation. Long walks help with the physical, but it’s his backpack that helps with the mental exercise too. I usually fill it with a collapsible bowl, a water bottle for him, some treats, and usually my water bottle too. Carrying things turns our walk into his job. Activity boards help with the mental exercise too!
Doggie day care is a great help in making sure they got their socialization, mental, and physical exercises. Find a good one in your area if she’s going to be alone for a while during the day (this will have to wait until she’s had all of her shots and vaccinations though!).
A trainer was also so helpful in the beginning, as others have mentioned.
Also, since they can be temperamental to weather changes/being cold, a rain coat has made going potty during a storm or the winter way more possible.
Strong toys! We like Kong, Playology, and firehose toys for ours.
Be prepared for lots of love and snuggles!! I’ve owned jack russels, Yorkies, and a corgi-mix, and none of them have been anywhere near as clingy and cuddly as my pit. As much as he loves day care, and hikes, and running around, he loves to be held or lay in my lap just as much. He’s by far the sweetest pet I’ve ever had.
She’s beautiful, by the way! I’m always so excited for new pit owners. Even though puppyhood can be hard, (r/puppy101 has guidance on that too!), pits are just so wonderful, so I’m excited for the bond you’ll share with her! 😊
Wow, your first dog is going to be a German Shepherd..... Do your research, he will be great with the kids as long as your willing to put the time in to do this right.
GSD pups are notorious for being "mouthy". Redirect him, when he bites, let out an "OUCH", draw back, play stops, give him a bone immediately. (or suitable chew toy) Remember, you are not rewarding him, you are redirecting. He is a baby, he is teething and hasn't learned bite inhibition yet. You have to teach him.
I have also used the technique that when he bites, "OUCH" and turn your back on him. That is what worked for my current boy. You would have thought he lost his best friend. It was traumatic, he did not like it at all. It worked.
Potty training. If you don't catch him in the act, don't scold him, he has no idea he did anything wrong. If you catch him, "NO" and immediately take him outside. When outside in the appropriate place and he starts to go, use a key word like "going potty", "go poop" whatever you want to use. You will feel like an idiot saying it over and over while the dog defecates but you will thank me later.
Consistency and routine are your friend. He IS smarter than you are.
I would highly recommend a professional trainer for YOU. At least basic puppy classes. Crate train, it is the best thing on the planet. You can also use it to help build his bladder.
He appears to be about 12 weeks, can't really tell for sure. You have so much research to do....
The Monks of New Skete "The art of raising a Puppy" is a good resource book on raising GSDs. They have a good mix of positive training with discipline. GSDs need both. He has to view you as the pack leader or he is going to walk all over you. Especially since he is a male.
These are my opinions. I have had Shepherds since I was a kid and the past 25 years as an adult. I took a basic puppy class last year with our newest Dog. It was for me as a refresher more than for him but he got some socialization out of it as well. They need that, take him places, new sounds, people, pets. Do not let it be traumatic for him. He will go through "fear periods" every so often, he will be afraid of things that he wasn't before but it will pass.
These things are a Godsend
make sure you roll her on her back and hold her muzzle lightly and say no.. make sure they know biting is not a game... or it will be a kids face as a game.. and a very bad one at that.. dont ask her to stop biting your hair.. tell her... This is a great book. http://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Perfect-Dog-Puppyhood/dp/0307461300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397524876&sr=1-1&keywords=Cesar+Millan
key note: sometimes you have to be the bad guy to have a good dog. but being the bad guy only lasts a few seconds when your stopping bad behavior.
You might be thinking of Bronwen Dickey's Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon. It's an interesting read but gets very mixed reviews from well-informed dog folks. The author definitely has an agenda.
Seconded for "The art of raising a puppy" by the Monks of New Skete as a fantastic start to fundamentals of dog training, with a couple of personal amendments:
Hardcopy
Audiobook
I can't say enough about this clicker training book. I started when Lavi was 12 weeks and the first weekend we were sitting on command and doing a few other behaviors. I am a big fan of clicker training. Good luck with the biting, I don't have any suggestions but redirection.
Adding on to /u/quincyskis here. Check with your local area about how search and rescue works. I'm out in Washington state and we're almost completely volunteer force. We have a k9 handler crew as well that helps look for lost hikers, evidence and the odor of human decomposition. It's amazing when the weather gets warm how many people end up off trail. Anyway check with your local area or pick up some books like this. I'm currently spending the year learning how to train a dog before I get one.
Yeah, don't worry, you can do it! If you enjoy books, the best intro to science-based training methods that I've read so far is The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller. It's simple but pretty comprehensive for the things most dog owners run into.
If you can give us more detail about the behaviors you want to discourage and the ones you want to encourage, we can help you come up with an action plan that you both can enjoy doing.
For a great book about socializing a service dog I can really recommend, A Dog Who's Always Welcome. it's geared towards someone who doesn't have experience training service dogs so it's quite comprehensive on the mindset necessary when training a service dog and it goes through each stage of socialization in detail, providing a lot of examples of to where and what things a service in training dog should be introduced to.
I know very little about diabetes service dogs so I can't help on that front, but one thing to consider when you do narrow down breed selection is to consider getting a young adult dog. This is because puppies often change temperament during adolescence, meaning that the perfect puppy can easily not be suitable by the time they're one. It also means the primary checks for hip dysplasia can be done before you start investing time into training. Preferably this dog would be a from a breeder who was intending to show the dog, but when it grew up it had small aesthetic flaws. These dogs are usually excellent because they've already been extensively socialized, and basic obedience skills already taught. But you can also visit your local animal shelter and temperament test many (adult) dogs to find a gem. If you decide to go the puppy route you should get one from a responsible breeder. A popular temperament test to use (for any potential dog or puppy you're considering, not just shelter dogs) is the Volhard test.
In terms of timeline you're probably looking at about two years if you get a puppy, and one year if you get an adult dog with basic obedience skills. That first year is filled with socialization, basic obedience training, and fun-puppy-stuff. The second year is when the diabetic alert training, and public access training can begin.
It's quite easy to underestimate the gap between a well trained pet and an assistance dog. Consider the following scenario. It's thanksgiving day and you have as many people coming over as you do chairs. You have a well behaved pet and during dinner, he eats his quietly and then plays with a chew toy without disturbing anyone because he's a good dog, and if he starts to get overstimulated, then you move him to a crate where he also is quiet due to training. A service dog at restaurant has to deal with many times the people, many times the noise, many more smells, and this time he doesn't get to eat himself, and he can't play he need to lay calmly with his tail tucked in so no one steps on it.
Another thing is what I'm going to call defensive dog walking. Because you're taking a dog to places that people don't normally expect, people are not going to be watching for her at say the grocery store. So beyond a loose leash and heel, you'll want to teach your dog other micromanaged movements so that you can issue a command and she'll move out of the path of the 9-year-old joyriding a shopping cart instantly. A lot of service dog training isn't just making sure your dog can alert you to hypoglycemia, but that she can do it while at the beach and the man an umbrella over is eating a cheeseburger.
And I've said all that, but you mentioned that you particularly what a dog to be able to alert you at night when you're alone and sleep through the alarm. You might consider getting a dog just to be an at-home service dog. These dogs are still allowed to bypass no-pet rules in housing, but they only help at home and thus don't need all the public access training.
Rescues test to see if their dogs get along with cats. Don't rule out a not-puppy just for that. Also, getting a dog just a year or so, you get to skip the crazy-chew-everything phase.
And take up running if you can. Aussies like an hour or more of real exercise each day, so a half an hour run, then serious fetch for another half hour. Start thinking of your schedule with an hour less a day. That time will be joyful and fun and happy and have you laughing, but it is an adjustment.
And I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409761176&sr=1-1
Here's the book everyone always mentions with the guide dog study. My limited understanding of the study is that it was so narrow in scope that it doesn't generalize well. I too have searched for empirical evidence of the "syndrome" but have come up empty handed.
I keep contemplating buying a copy of the book to read the study out of genuine curiosity, but haven't been motivated enough yet.
Personally, I:
Beyond littermate syndrome or bitch fighting, the things that should be of primary concern to anyone crazy enough to buy two puppies:
This is because you don't want the dogs more tightly bonded to each other than to a person, and also because you don't want either dog to grow up to be an animal that lacks confidence when its buddy isn't there to back it up.
The good news(?) is that if they're buying BMDs from a shady breeder willing to sell them two littermates, any problems that develop are going to be very limited in terms of scope of time because of the multitude of health problems plaguing the breed. Even well bred BMDs are lucky to make it to 6 or 7... I'm pretty sure the old saying about them is "Two years a young dog, two years a good dog, two years an old dog. Anything else is a gift from god."
It sounds to me like it's time to bring in a professional. Seek out someone who does force free training, if she's already bitten multiple people then using force could make things exponentially worse.
And here's a few of my favorite 'dog' books, which might help you figure out what's happening until you can find a good trainer and book an appointment.
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller
First of all congratulations on having a dog! Obviously you are a concerned owner and eager to learn and this is a great thing!
Everything you written about her being confused, refusing food, even not going up the stairs is probably due to the fact that she was taken out of her everyday environment. Allow a couple of days for her to get used to you and for you to get used to her. Read about training through positive reinforcement (use the clicker for best results). I strongly recommend reading Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training as it leads you through the process of teaching your new dog new commands from week to week. Before actually using the clicker, read about it or watch a must see playlist by kikopup.
The easiest way to train your dog is to use food as a reward and lure. Combined with a clicker to mark the exact moment when your dog did the right thing leads to great (and very fast) results!
And now to your specific questions and some other stuff I think is related and important:
Crate training should be done gradually and in a very positive way (refer to kikopup or the book I've mentioned). You will basically teach her to want to go there on her own as a safe place where she can take a time out and relax. If she hasn't been crated in her previous home, she might not take it to well. Be sure to leave the gate open and start working on closing the gate and leaving the room gradually. This means that in the beginning you reward her for going near the crate. Then throw a treat inside the crate. Then reward her for staying in the crate and so on. As with everything else in dog training it is better to put lower expectations on your dog so you "set your dog up for success".
Stairs: she maybe never encountered stairs. If the vet said she's healthy I'd say she just needs to get used to them. In case the stairs are "see through" (like these for example) many dogs won't go up them because they probably think they'll fall through them. As generally dogs don't like to be carried around, she won't get used to you carrying her up and down the stairs in the beginning. After a few days try luring her with treats (holding a treat in hand in front of her nose and slowly moving it forward) the instant she follows your hand - give her the treat. And then repeat for every step. You can also put treats on stairs to motivate her to come up. You'll have to see what works best.
Food/treats: you should see what is the recommended daily amount of food for your dog. Take one half of that and use it as treats and the other two quarters use as morning and evening meal. You should remember that treats shouldn't be an extra on top of dogs food for the day. In that way the dog will be food motivated and eager to please you in order to get the treat.
Establishing dominance. I'm not in favour of people downvoting a post whenever someone says "dominance". It is an old concept, but all of dog training up until recently was based on it so it is very normal that people who are not into dog training still think that this is the way to go. I'm sure you can read about the theory (sidebar) and why is it wrong. As long as you don't use any painful or intimidating methods and respect your dog's boundaries and body signals you can call it whatever you like (but preferably don't call it dominance so as not to confuse people :P ). If you don't want your dog sleeping in the bed with you - teach him where should she sleep. But if you're ok with the dog sleeping on the bed but you're afraid she will turn out into a dominant werewolf if you allow her - you have nothing to worry about.
Good luck!
Here's a fantastic introductory book on positive dog training techniques:
The power of positive dog training
Get the book. Even if you're not a "reader", the middle section is essentially workshops on training certain tricks.
I have to admit, when I first got my dog last year, I just assumed that dominance was the way to train a dog. Mainly because of our good friend Cesar Milan. However, as soon as I picked this book up I realised the error of my ways.
How can you convince your boyfriend that positive is the way forward? Try and get him involved. Pick up that book, get him to pick a trick from the book to teach your dog. It will be a real eye opener.
Another important point that has been mentioned by others - you both need to be consistent. Him hitting the dog for misbehaving while you're using positive techniques will be counter productive. It is very easy to miscommunicate with negative training techniques. He can be essentially poisoning your training, especially as he has no clue what he's doing.
Good luck!
It's only his first day so you really have to drop all expectations! This is just part of raising a puppy - since you mention you are a first time owner I recommend doing some reading, perhaps [The Art of Raising a Puppy!] (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275)
This week I would focus on teaching your new pup his name, brushing him to get him used to it from an early age and also to relax him, and slowly get him used to the crate by giving him treats near the door, giving him treats to walk in (no closing the door), then eventually working up to closing him in. Then work up to being able to leave him in the crate without you in the room. It will definitely take a lot of time and patience, but you can do it! Good luck.
I would recommend that you read The Art of Raising a Puppy by Monks of New Skete before you adopt a puppy. Good luck.
>What caveats do you have for me about the breed? I heard they have bad teeth. What else should I know before getting one?
How much exercise and stimulation do you currently do with your GSD? Will you be exercising them together or separately?
Some Greyhounds like all dogs. Some Greyhounds prefer other Greyhounds, sighthounds, and other pointy dogs. Some Greyhounds don't enjoy small dogs and may not test OK for them. It depends on the individual.
Bad teeth? I know quite a few with good or excellent teeth. My foster (6 now) had perfect teeth under some tartar, which was fixed by a proper dental. Mine is senior and has not required any extractions, no issues. A lot of it is genetics, too. A lot of it is regular care/brushing.
If you're thinking of adopting, you should borrow or buy at least Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies and give it a read-through -- it has a lot of information to absorb at once and may be too much, but it is helpful nonetheless -- or start talking to a group, look at their reference material on their website, and do some other reading online.
Most of the dogs come up from the US to groups locally, although possibly not directly in Ottawa. I used to have a retired racer, but that was in Vancouver and we drove down to Washington to pick him up. You could try flagging down an owner as someone suggested, or contact some of the local rescue groups http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.com/info.html or http://www.gracanada.com/. You can expect a bit of a process in adopting, as the groups will likely want to do a house visit and you would go through a meet-and-greet to get to know potential dogs before adopting. I totally recommend adopting a retired racer, but as with any breed, you have to look at your lifestyle and see if that type of dog fits. This book is a good primer, but the basis of it is that greyhounds are super calm, very sweet, and very sensitive, which is great, but the flip side of that is that they can have separation anxiety (so if you are out of the house 10+ hours at a time, it won't work well) and aren't as "dog" like as people are expecting, a lot of people are surprised that they have to always be on a leash unless it is a completely fenced in area. They pretty much want to sleep most of the day (preferably near you) and despite what people think, they are very low energy, but bringing them to an enclosed area to run briefly and some walks is all it takes. Good luck :)
Book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Dogs-Michael-Redemption/dp/B007PLZZ52
Worth the read, but bring some tissues.
Generally good points, and its a really worthwhile discussion, but point 1 is pretty hotly debated. For example, if you read The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters you will find that they completely disagree, and that wind in the first half is more important.
Aside from that, I think you have done a good job here, and I hope it sparks useful debate.
Ok, I had some things to do, I wanted to reply to this earlier...I love this stuff :D
I dunno if you're looking for a specific training (general obedience, agility, protection, etc.), so I'll include a bit of everything that's helped me or that is well-regarded.
For general understanding of dog behavior, I really, really intensely love Jean Donaldson's "Culture Clash." It's not a workbook for obedience, it's more of a compilation of different techniques and why the author chose to move toward the training style she did. It's a little scathing at times. It's also relatively short (I think I finished it in a day or two), so as a general introduction, it works great.
If you have a puppy and are looking for puppy-specific knowledge, Ian Dunbar is the go-to name. There's lots and lots of Dunbar stuff out there, just plug his name in and go to town! Paul Owens' "The Puppy Whisperer" is also pretty good.
For general/pet obedience work, you really can't beat Pat Miller's "The Power of Positive Dog Training". Karen Pryor, a pioneer in clicker training (bridging the gap between marine/whale operant conditioning and dogs), also put out a great one, "Don't Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training". Really, anything by Karen Pryor is worth picking up if you're interested in the subject.
There are certain facets of dog body language and behavior that are pretty essential to know, and which are often neglected or incorrectly labelled in dominance-heavy learning (for instance, appeasement behaviors and fear aggression). A great start here is "On Talking Terms with Dogs" by Turid Rugaas, a Norwegian dog trainer and behaviorist.
Let's say you have a specific problem. Here are some good starts to overcoming common doggie fear issues: Patricia McConnell's "Cautious Canine and Ali Brown's "Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog.. Patricia McConnell's "I'll be Home Soon" is great for separation anxiety, Terry Ryan's "The Bark Stops Here" for barking. One of my faves is Emma Parsons' "Healing the Aggressive Dog".
Finally, a book that I cannot stress enough in its awesomeness is Jane Killion's "When Pigs Fly! Training Success with Impossible Dogs". If you're stuck with a breed that was bred to work independently or you often feel that your dog is just plain ignoring you, this is a great thing to pull out.
If you're not so big on books and want videos, hop on youtube and look up kikopup! She's utterly brilliant and has a ton of videos to choose from. If you want to get more into that angle, look up the terms "shaping," "capturing," and "luring" - three different but related methods for encouraging dogs to do specific behaviors.
Finally, if you want to get down to the science of it and think more about wolves, L. David Mech is the name you want to watch for. And I have more sources on specific dogsports (gundog work, agility, etc.), but this post is already hideously long, so I'll leave it as is.
Hope that helps!
I have a 10 month old cockapoo at home - getting another one soon.
EDIT: Also, yes you are worrying too much. Get a dog and love it with all your heart - the rewards are immeasurable.
EDIT2: also forgot, heartworm meds and advantix/frontline can be expensive.
I like https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0470241845 . Don't be turned off assuming it's some hippie dippie nonsense. It's based on the same concepts and methods reputable caretakers use with large dangerous animals.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275/ref=nodl_
This book of all the ones we’ve read was the best for us. Understanding that dogs are pack animals and look for their place in the hierarchy
> I was under the impression that these dogs were, in general, of a meaner disposition due to selective breeding. Is that inaccurate?
This is wildly overstated imo. I highly recommend
https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116
TLDR: A dogs breed is not nearly the dominant factor on it's temperament that many people take it to be.
I think what is going to get you the best bang for your buck will be the bags - there are ways to estimate wind - buy this book - it will help immensely.
Let's talk about your reloading setup what kit are you using to reload? (dies, bullets, powder, trimming etc).
These 2 books are great! I recommend them
http://www.amazon.ca/Canine-Body-Language-Photographic-Guide/dp/1929242352/ref=pd_sim_b_14
http://www.amazon.ca/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0470241845/ref=pd_sim_b_19
To my knowledge there is not one comprehensive book, but I have a few recommendations.
A Dog Who's Always Welcome
The Eyes that Lead
Lend Me An Ear
The Art of Raising a Puppy was very helpful for me. It is written by a group of monks in upstate New York that dedicate themselves to raising GSD's. It gives a lot of insight into the mind of dogs including how puppies develop over time. They also give practical training ideas. It is obviously geared toward raising a puppy. I think it would still be useful for an adult dog though the same author may have a title more suited to your situation.
Congrats! You brought me back 16 years ago when I brought a GS puppy for my 4 year old son. I read quite a few dog training books. None off them worked well. I then got a copy of this book from my local library.https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275 It's called the "The art of raising a puppy" by the monks of New Skete. It allowed me to get into the mind of my puppy. To make this short, I had a fantastically trained puppy who got even better as he got older. It took me about 15 to 20 minutes a day to train my dog. Find a copy of this book you will not be sorry. As for hair, brush every other day or so collect it and put it in a shoe box outside. Birds will come by and take it all for nests.
I really like Tom Dokken's Retriever Training.
I think this is the best advice: start young and keep it positive and fun. When it becomes not fun, the training session is over. Short, positive training sessions throughout the day are much more effective.
Best of luck to you!
A little off of your question here but have you considered teaching your puppy yourself?
This book, The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete is quite literally all you need. If you have ever watched Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, you'll quickly see where he gets his technique. If you are getting a smart breed, you'll do even better with the techniques they teach you in this book.
I am very anti places like Petco where they teach your dog to behave strictly for treats. It's that 'get them, get them instant results, send them out the door' business model. They do nothing for you or your dog long-term.
Positive reinforcement/clicker training is the way to go with whippets (and all animals).
Some great YouTube channels I’d recommend are Zak George and KikoPup. Their videos are very informative and watching how to train the tricks helps a lot with training your own pup.
The website of dog trainer Victoria Stillwell, Positively, has lots of good articles on training. I also found the book “The Power of Positive Dog Training” by Pat Miller to be a big help as well.
r/dogtraining is a wonderful resource for ideas and problem solving.
Avoid like the plague any training program or trainer who advocates dominance based training theories or getting rough/violent with their animals while training. Dominance theory is outdated, disproven, and based on incorrect information. It can break down the bond of trust between dog and owner, as well as crest problems like fear based aggression towards the owner.
Congrats on your whippet puppy and best of luck with training!
Read the book, monks of new skete https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275. A very good read and will provide you with a companion loyal and friendly for their life.
I bet it meant certified. With NSDA you can certify as early as one year of age. People start training puppies the day they take them home.
A couple of books with basics:
Ready! by Susan Bulanda
Search and Rescue Dogs, ARDA
Try checking out Lee Livingood's "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" if you haven't already. There is a lot of good information in there covering a wide range of breed-specific topics.
First, check out /r/puppy101
Otherwise great resources on youtube include: Zak George and Kikopup
Books/Resources that haven't been mentioned yet: Zak George's Dog Training ReVolution and Victoria Stillwell's Books, Blogs, and videos.
That is the heart breaking part. Stay strong. Do lots of socializing during the day. Lots and lots.
Also, don't get in the habit of just saying No! Say the dogs name, then the command. Otherwise it's just a word. i.e. Cap'n: No!
Read this book.
If you're really interested in this, check out The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. It's a really great book with a lot of information about the case and the dogs. And it truly shows how incredibly resilient dogs are, regardless of breed.
This would be a good place to start for you. Good Luck.
Everyone who is getting a puppy should buy their book, The Art of Raising a Puppy.
Seriously, everyone. It's a recipe for friendly, obedient dogs.
I havent seen that but I have read The Lost Dogs, about what happened to mike vicks pit bulls after he was arrested. Most of them, even after being forced to fight, turned out to be perfectly calm and loving animals.
This book is amazing: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0470241845
Virtually any dog in the universe can fit the criteria of what you described, but all breeds have their little variations.
For example, my favorite breed is the German Shepherd. And there are German Shepherds that do really well in apartment life, and others that don't. If you go to a breeder for your dog, you're going to want to find a breeder that emphasizes pet quality, safe, sane dogs. The difference between a Labrador from hunting lines and lines bred for therapy and service dog work is night and day. If you go to a shelter to adopt a dog, I would recommend taking a qualified trainer with you that's well-read on selection testing dogs, and most of all, use the resources at your disposal. Talk to the people who run the shelter and/or the rescue. They have the most experience with the dog. They will be able to help you the best.
With the two breeds you mentioned (Golden Retrievers, specifically) keep in mind the shedding issue. Labs shed too, but Golden's are just about as bad as Shepherd's (which are both, very bad.) If you have carpet, be prepared to vacuum everyday. If you intend to let your dog sleep with you on the bed, or chill on the sofa, be ready to clean your furniture daily. Your clothes will be covered in hair if you do not. Your boss will not like you showing up to work wearing your dog.
Also, please, if you haven't already, look into your apartments restrictions for pets and dog breeds, and keep in mind that if you intend on moving, you will be taking your dog with you. I love all breeds of dogs, but apartments do not. Rottweilers, German Shepherd's, Doberman's, Pitbulls (and mixes) come under notorious scrutiny when moving. For your future dogs sake, pick a breed or mixed breed that your landlords are cool with.
Some of my favorite books include:
Dog Training for Dummies which is a very basic introduction to how dogs learn, and explains the different methods available to you in an unbiased manner.
Some of my personal favorite books include:
How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
The Divine Canine by the Monks of New Skete
If you haven't already guessed, I'm a huge fan of the Monks of New Skete. The put huge emphasis on calm, structured leadership and positive method obedience that works in real life situations. Plus, they're German Shepherd people. Double points.
Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin.
Dr. Temple Grandin is a high-functioning autistic that teaches at Colorado State University's veterinary science department. I've taken several classes with her, and her understanding of animals is absolutely impossible to challenge. This book is more about genetic theory and science-backed training methods. It's good reading material if you want to know more about animals (she discusses dogs and livestock in detail) but is not a training guide. She also has a lot of technical articles available on her website here.
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Harowitz. This is a cursory introduction to canine ethology. It is not a guide, but if you want to know about how dogs think (how dogs can "smell time" for example) this is where you start.
How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren emphasizes communication with dogs, backed in animal biology and evolution.
Canine Body Language: A photographic guide by Brenda Aloff describes in vivid detail what dogs are "saying." It's not a training guide, but will help you understand your dog much better.
Katz on Dogs by Jon Katz, a great common sense training guide to working with dogs in the home, and outdoors.
Soul of a Dog also by Jon Katz, which goes into greater detail on the personal side of working with dogs, with very helpful examples.
Imagine Life With a Well Behaved Dog by Julie Bjelland. Great book on structure and positive method dog training.
Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Pitcairn was one of my college textbooks and it's a great start for dog nutrition and chemical-free health care for dogs. This is not a training guide, but nutrition and health are just as important (if not more) than training, so I figured I'd share.
With the exception of the first book on the list, all of these books are fairly detailed. I would highly recommend the Monks of New Skete books before any of the others. But they're all very good.
Additionally, you can read many of the articles on the AKC.org website regarding dog training, and Leerburg has some great comprehensive advice on training the working dog, which can also be applied to training family pets. He also sells a variety of videos and ebooks on the same subject matter.
TL;DR How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend & The Art of Raising A Puppy explain everything you ever need to know about training a dog, ever.
Alright, I'll give that a look! I'm also thinking of reading this, do you think it would help aswell?
Thank you for your reply. I still have some issues with your line of thinking, although I agree with you on some points.
> It's happened a couple of times over a long, long span. This is not, "never let your dog see another dog ever,' this is, 'train an out command so that when your dog engages in this INCREDIBLY RARE behavior, you can stop it."
At no point does the OP say this is "INCREDIBLY RARE" behaviour. Incredibly rare would suggest to me it happens less than once a year, but this is all conjecture until the OP can clarify exactly what she meant. Neither of us actually know how often this happens. She does say "It's very inconsistent and she rarely does this". But this language is vague and can be interpreted differently. Very inconsistent could be once a week? Once a month? Perhaps she does mean once a year. Who knows. At any rate, we know it is happening often enough for OP to make a post about it and ask for advice on how to resolve the issue. That information alone would suggest to me that we cannot treat the expressions "very inconsistent" and "INCREDIBLY RARE" as equals. But it is really pointless to argue this as neither of us actually know.
The important thing to note is that the dog's behaviour is inconsistent and unpredictable. The OP doesn't know when she is going to act this way and when she is not. Therefore, if she is going to attempt to curtail this behaviour by avoiding these situations, she will have to avoid any situation in which it might happen. She can never be sure when this will be, and this is the reason I felt avoidance alone was untenable.
>A growl is communication, not intent, and not always interpret-able by a lay human observer.
I completely agree that signals such as growls are often misinterpreted, and I commend your attitude towards this. If you are interested in dog body language and signals I recommend Stanley Coren's book How To Speak Dog if you haven't read it already. It is very entertaining and useful.
However, you should not assume blind ignorance on my part and believe that I routinely misinterpret many signals as aggression. I don't think the examples you cite regarding puppy litters and play are relevant here whatsoever. The OP specifically says "Callie will straight up attack them and start a fight. Blood has only been drawn once".
Regardless of the nuances of dog communication I would class this behaviour as unacceptable aggression and I stand by that.
> To tell this woman, whose dog has growled and mouthed another dog on a few occasions that she is dealing with aggression and resource guarding is disingenuous. You are putting big names to a small problem.
If you look at my reply to OP you can see that regarding her first issue I actually suggest the dog is not being dominant or aggressive but rather it may be an issue of overenthusiastic play behaviour.
>Are you sure this isn't simply an instance of overenthusiastic mouthing as a result of excitement/lack of boundaries?
I believe seeing her dog bite at the other dog's neck is a behaviour which could be misinterpreted as aggressive, when in reality it is simply natural dog behaviour which has gone unchecked. I do not suggest that this is necessarily "aggressive" behaviour. But of course I can't say for sure given the limited information OP has given. That is why I suggested contacting a local professional trainer, and I stand by that advice.
Edit - I want to add here, that regardless of whether this is "aggressive" behaviour, it is clearly unwanted behaviour. And there are training methods to address this if the OP chooses to do so.
As for the resource guarding, based on OP's description of the dog's behaviour, I still believe this could legitimately be a case of resource guarding. If that is the case, then it is sensible to address this matter through training. However, it could be another issue entirely, and so I would once again suggest the services of an in-person trainer.
>Avoiding the situation until you can come up with a solution, no matter what that solution is, is ALWAYS the right first step.
Again, I absolutely agree with you. However, my impression was that this was not what you were saying. I didn't feel that you were suggesting the OP avoid these situations until a training solution can be reached. But rather you were saying avoidance was a training solution in and of itself. The biggest issue I have with your statements is this
>train an out command so that when your dog engages in this INCREDIBLY RARE behavior, you can stop it.
The OP specifically describes a situation in which the dog is attacking other dogs and starting a fight. I don't believe that a strong stop and recall command is sufficient to address this. For one thing, if the OP is capable of teaching a strong enough recall command that she can immediately stop and recall the dog to her side when she is in the middle of play, then I believe OP is competent enough to address the root of the issue in the first place and train her dog not to exhibit these behaviours. Secondly, the dog has shown a willingness to instigate fights with other dogs. What if the dog starts a fight with another dog that decides to fight back? In that situation, how does the OP respond? Even if her "out" command is impeccable, that will not have stopped the dog from instigating the behaviour in the first place. And if the other dog decides to retaliate then it won't matter how good the "out" command is. Even if this behaviour is extremely infrequent, it has happened often enough for the OP to seek advice and it is still dangerous. I think the responsible thing to do is seek professional advice and focus on addressing the root of the issue as to why the dog is showing patterns of resource guarding and aggression. Avoiding situations and relying on an "out" command is not sufficient in my opinion. But I will happily discuss this further with you. However, I think this all a little pointless without more information from OP. Neither of us can give a fair assessment of the situation, and that is why my ultimate advice would have to be seeking professional local help if the OP feels it is necessary
Edit - I'm actually sleepy so I won't be responding any more. To reiterate, I believe that the dog is exhibiting unwanted behaviour that can be modified through training. I do not believe avoidance or reliance on an out command is sensible or sufficient to address this, and recommend the OP seek professional training help.
Well, I'd caution first time dog owners against adopting a stray off the street rather than through a rescue that has evaluated it. If its a puppy its one thing, but older dogs who have been strays or ferals for a while can come with some challenges. If nothing else, do try to rescue the pup and contact local rescues (especially if you can guess the breed and find a breed rescue) as puppies get adopted pretty fast. If you do choose to keep the pup yourself, search for a local trainer using the terms "Positive only," "positive reinforcement" and "clicker training" to local a positive-based trainer. Avoid trainers who advertise "balanced," "traditional," or talk about "dominance", "pack leader", or "alpha."
There are a ton of wonderful resources out there, and here are some very worthwhile books to look into
Before And After Getting Your Puppy
Puppy Primer
Power of Positive Dog Training
Family Friendly Dog Training
And specifically addressing house training -
Way to Go!
Anything by the following authors (who also have online articles) is pure gold:
Patricia McConnell
Pat Miller
Ian Dunbar
Suzanne Clothier
Grisha Stewart
Pia Silvani
Jean Donaldson
Sophia Yin
Also check our Dr. Yin's amazing series of youtube videos
And for general training (as in obedience and tricks) Kikopup is phenomenal.
I've worked in rescue for years and I foster harder dogs. If you every need any advice or questions answered you are welcome to contact me individually as well :-)
This is probably the same group of monks who wrote this book which I read when I got my first dog. She is four now and it was a great help!
No problem! I'm just at that super excited pre-adoption stage and want to spread the love on this breed. GRA specifically mentioned in an email to me that they've had people adopt from as far out as Ottawa, so you guys are more than close enough for at least one.
Make sure to post in r/greyhounds as well as seem like a respectable and knowledgeable bunch for any questions and concerns.
Also if they're up for it, a bunch of people have recommended to me Retired Racers for Dummies. It's a comprehensively thorough book that talks about breed specific information, like certain medications greyhounds seem allergic to. Or to make sure you teach them that windows are solid objects and pools aren't.
You basically just described a puppy alright, puppies are weird and have a lot of quirks.
I'm expecting my 8 week golden in July and I've been reading this book:
http://amzn.com/1615648852
It's really preparing me for the golden and from what you said, this book has prepared me very well.
Certainly! I would be happy to answer any questions you have, just send me a PM. I'm not an expert but I would be happy to give you perspective from the real world side of things.
Here is a study you can read that goes over a lot of what I just said. They included smooshy faces too so you can read about how they performed compared to their normal-nosed counterparts if you're interested!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859551/
This is by far the best book I have, but it's expensive but it's an actual textbook. It goes over so so much, including the anatomy of dog noses and scent theory and positive training (they even included some writings by Karen Pryor). Fair warning, there are some chapters in there about how humans decompose so if you're squeamish you may want to skip some chapters. It's all very honest but kind of gross if you find those things off-putting.
https://www.amazon.com/Cadaver-Dog-Handbook-Forensic-Training/dp/0849318866
These two books are honestly very much the same. It's not worth it to buy both, just whichever one happens to be cheaper for you. They are very good though! They don't focus so much on scent theory but they are crammed with lots of training instructions and scent games.
https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Training-Search-Rescue-Dog/dp/1621871045/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484358751&sr=1-1&keywords=Ready%21+Training+the
-------
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Rescue-Dogs-Training-Hero/dp/0764567039/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FB2KGHQEPVR4BPM91YPQ
This one is more of just a fun read but I really love it. It is about the author and her cadaver sniffing german shepherd and all the cool things they have done. She is very good about sprinkling cool facts all throughout the book. If you ever want a good book to just read, this one is awesome.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-Knows-Science-Perceive/dp/1451667329/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484358909&sr=1-1&keywords=what+the+dog+knows
I strongly recommend reading this book. It was extremely helpful for learning about all of the developmental stages my Golden would be going through and having an idea about what to expect.
Make sure your home is VERY clean and is set up for the puppy before you bring him home. Goldens are adorable, but when they're little they will chew and eat anything that fits in their mouth, which can be extremely dangerous. Make sure you have a crate and an exercise pen set up and ready for him before he comes home.
Also, just curious, is there a reason you can't meet the dog before March 10? Our breeder was encouraging all of the puppy buyers to come play with the puppies as much as possible as soon as they turned 3 weeks old (good for their socialization and everyone had fun interacting with the puppies. We visited every other week from when he was born until he came home at 8 weeks old).
Nah... Check out this book.
Ooo, getting a bit upset now are we?
I bet you've never picked up a dog training book in your life, what, because it's too hard? Don't have the time to learn the science of dogs? Bet you got one and just winged it cause, hey, how hard to could it be to raise a dog?
Here's one that I recommend to all of my friend's with dogs and after our talk, I feel like we've become close friends. The Art of Raising A Puppy
Dog training isn't some evil action that I feel you think it is. If you think about it, ever since dogs were domesticated, they've had to be trained in order to co-exist with humans. You do this a certain way for me, I give you food and love. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.
Sure you can just have one and let it live with you, no rules, all free willy. But eventually, your dog is going to do something you don't like. Now you can pass it off as dogs will be dogs but one of these day's your dog might do something that someone else doesn't like, and once you anger enough people or if the act is bad enough, it's going to affect you and you will be personally responsible. Remember, a dog without conflict, is a happy dog. What that means is if he behaves, people can only love him and there will never be a reason for anyone to be upset at him.
I really hope you learn how to raise a good dog, and if it ever comes to it, learn how to raise a good child. Don't go into it thinking you know everything. Do a little research, and read some books. You'll soon learn that there is a lot about dogs that you really don't know, and that's ok, it's a learning experience for both of you.
Our greyhound is alone for no longer than 8h on work days, although my boyfriend and I are fortunate to have jobs where we can work remotely on occasion, so he's on his own for maybe 4 days a week. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him for longer than the 8 hours, even if we had a dog walker come in, I just feel like that's a long time to be alone. When we are gone, though, he sleeps on his dog bed or works on his Kong. When we first got him we had to do a lot of alone training and getting into a predictable routine so he would be ok & quiet during the day; it definitely takes some work but if you go into it prepared you would be okay. I know of some people that have more social greyhounds that go to doggie daycare once a week, which could be something to think about. It depends on the personality of the dog, though, some would want to play for 30 minutes and then be left alone to sleep!
I live in an apartment and we go for 2 30-minute walks a day (early morning, late night) as well as several potty breaks. There are a few dog runs in my neighborhood we take him to for him to run around and do his #2 business, and although I'm sure he'd love to live somewhere with a yard, our situation is working out just fine!
There's a lot of great books out there on greyhounds, I'd recommend [Adopting the Racing Greyhound by Cynthia Brannigan] (https://www.amazon.com/Adopting-Racing-Greyhound-Cynthia-Branigan-ebook/dp/B00DNL10KM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468504573&sr=1-1&keywords=adopting+the+retired+racing+greyhound). Good luck!
Some great books on raising a pup using one of the right ways. This: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275/ref=pd_sim_b_39 book keeps showing up. There is also a series of books from about 10 - 15 years ago by a matronly woman that were the 'go-to' book back then but, sorry, I can't remember her name. I used her methods twice. Crating is a key.
I live on a different coast, so I can't talk about AZ, but we've all been through this. Everything will be fine.
Get yourself a copy of the greyhound bible, Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. Stairs are a completely surmountable obstacle. Yeah, it might be rough for a week, but they'll get the hang of it. As long as you're willing to put in the walking time (most orgs recommend 2 walks, 30 minutes each), a condo is a totally fine situation. Everything will be fine.
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love
This is my absolute favorite dog book and it connects with his videos as well. The book is written in a more general sense that can be used with any dog of any age and it is really easy to follow.
As with all dogs, a lot of their behavior comes down to the owner. Look at the dogs who were rescued from Michael Vick. Most of them were rehabilitated and adopted by loving families who say they are excellent dogs. Some were even trained and are excelling at being therapy dogs. Those were very "damaged" animals but with love and training they have much better lives. I suggest checking out the book The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, it is very compelling.
I have gotten dogs from breeders and I have gotten dogs from shelters and I loved them all. However, the dogs I got from breeder tended to have more health issues and one of then had a lot of behavioral problems. The point is, just because you get a dog from a breeder doesn't mean it won't have problems.
The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (Howell Reference Books)
[The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (Howell Reference Books)]
(http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Mind-Understanding-Behavior-Reference/dp/0876055137/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331182110&sr=1-1&tag=bookforyoudm-20)
I wouldn't say they require more work or special care than most other dogs. There are a few things to take into account:
There are some great books out there if you're serious about it. This one and this one.
Oh, and, if you do adopt 1 or more, be ready to become greyhound obsessed! Don't fight it! :)
They think of every being as a rung on a ladder. No two rungs are in the same place. There is an top male, and a top Female in every pack. You will tend to have fewer problems training your dog if that dog is the opposite gender of you.
The best guide book that helped me understand how to train my dog was this https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Knows-Best-Natural-Train/dp/0876056664
The Art of Raising a Puppy
Do you have any friends will well behaved dogs you could introduce it to? I would highly caution you against taking your dog to the dog park to socialize them. I think people think that you have to allow your dog to get out and engage and interact with everyone and everything during the fear stages, but the quality (not quantity) of these interactions are going to have a life long impact on your pup so it would be worthwhile for you to check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540173332&sr=8-1&keywords=the+art+of+raising+a+puppy+by+monks+of+new+skete
​
Have fun!!
Yes. Treats are a reward. Rewards come in various forms. You can make what you want the dog to do a way to get what it really wants. Reinforce good behavior using rewards - treats, play, belly rubs, letting the dog off leash etc.
​
I read Zac George's book and checked out some of his vids on Youtube for general behavior training. Grisha Stewart's video on BAT is what we mostly followed.
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Title | Potty Training: How to Train your Dog to RING A BELL to be Let Outside
Description | This video is sponsored by Potty Bells! Make house training easier and train your dog to ring a bell to be let out. Get your Potty Bells here! Potty Bells: http://www.pottybells.com?rfsn=365710.b0fb4 Get the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463152090&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+training+revolution OR visit http:www.dogtrainingrevolution.com for a list of booksellers. Support my videos by making a small contribution on p...
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Title | Teaching Your Dog to 'Go Pee' on Command
Description | For more dog training and instructional videos like this, check Darcie the Dog Trainer out: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommuniCanine/ Website: www.communicanine.ca This week I'm sharing with you one my FAVOURITE life hacks - how to teach your dog to go to the bathroom on command! This has saved me so much time in waiting for busy or distracted dogs that don't want to make going pee a priority. Stay connected with Darcie the Dog Trainer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommuniCa...
Length | 0:04:30
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I recommend this book!
Get this book now.
Zak George's Dog Training Revolution https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748916/
And when old enough, socialize, socialize, and socialize with other dogs!
Find “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by the monks of New Skete. They train German Shepherds for the most part, I believe, but their advice and knowledge is applicable to most breeds.
Somewhere neither dog has been before. Check out the Monks of New Skete. They’re gosh darn dog wizards.
while I dont agree with everything this book is a good start.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275
Tons of great blogs by lots of positive reinforcement trainers.
Well I'm glad to hear it, and even more glad you weren't offended!
I'd go with these as good places to start:
Zak George
Puppy Primer
Don't Shoot the Dog
Other End of the Leash
Kikopup on youtube has a TON of amazing videos on puppy raising too. Well worth checking out. :)
this is a great book to check out if you need help training him:
http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Knows-Best-Natural-Train/dp/0876056664
Looks like an awesome dog.
I really liked Zak George's Dog Training Revolution. Here's the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com.br/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916
Someone on here reccomened this book awhile back and it's fantastic: https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502303525&sr=1-1&keywords=pitbull very well written and informative. It's about, not only pit bulls, but the history of dog breeds and media narratives as well, I'm really enjoying it and learning lots about dogs (mine and all) along the way. Highly recommend.
It's best to think of training as an everyday thing. Teaching a dog happens at every possible learning opportunity, which is always. If your talking about training as in sit, down, stay and basic obedience you can start that at about 3 or 4 months. Bathroom rituals, bite inhibition, crate training and little every day things should start now. badrap has some great training videos. Check online for a large resource of positive reinforcement and lure techniques for basic obedience training. When first starting keep your sessions short and sweet, ending on a positive and successful note. It will keep you and your puppy from burning out or getting frustrated. I usually follow a five/five rule for busy working individuals, five times a day 5 mins each.
Catch Your Dog Doing Something Right and Mother Knows Best are some cool books to check out.
You can raise any of those 3 to be all around great dogs/retrievers if you put in the time and effort. Just be damn sure to find a reputable breeder or you'll end up with a dumb one with life long health problems. Honestly, I would check into breeders' prices and make a decision from there.
Personal experience, my buddy's black lab is the best damn retriever I've ever seen.
I know you didn't ask but I suggest getting this book if you haven't ever trained before.
Yeah, a lot of rescues have odd personalities due to being raised, basically, like livestock.
They're certainly not rough-and-tumble rasslin' dogs like a lab or retriever. They wanna run for about 5 minutes once or twice a week, and lounge/sleep the rest of the week. They have terrible recall. Most of them, if they see a squirrel or a cat or something off in the distance, they're going to zero in and take off (35 mph in 3 steps). And then get hit by a car or get lost. So anytime they're out of the house, they need to be in a fenced-in area (yard/dog park) or on-leash. Those are the down sides.
For me, I picked a greyhound because they are the absolute chillest dogs ever. They love to see you come home and they'll greet you for a couple minutes, then just hang out near you. They don't chew up furniture, they don't demand hours of play/exercise every day, they're not yappy. (It was about four months from when I adopted my 6-y/o until I heard her bark for the first time.) All the rescues are house-trained. They can be mostly command-trained if you put in some time. I taught mine "sit", "stay", and "down", but "come" never worked outside the house. Also, they're raised for health and good genetics, so there aren't chronic medical issues like bad hips and stuff that you'll find in other purebreeds.
If you do start seriously considering it, I highly recommend "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" and "Adopting the Racing Greyhound". After those you should be pretty set on what to expect. Also, the rescue agency should work with you to find a dog that fits with your situations and what you want. (Some are not cat-safe, some are more high-energy, some are more comfortable with new situations, etc)
I'm really glad I adopted (and fostered). But rescue greyhounds are really unlike any other pet dog out there.
...Wow I just typed a lot, haha. Let me know if you have any questions!
I trained my pup through Zak George with his youtube channel and book and it worked brilliantly. He's 11 months now and he heels, plays fetch, comes when called, house trained in a couple of months. Can't recommend enough.
Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzFRKsgVMhGTxffpzgTJlQ
Book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916
Here’s the link. Great book! Highly recommend it for anyone getting a Golden pup.
Thanks, the 2 books I had recommended by the instructors of Ontario's provincial rifle association were Litz's that you mention and The Wind Book.
>I've read articles from professional shooters, and almost all of it is either voodoo, or cannot be visually modeled easily (such as mirage)
The impression I have got is that it's an acquired skill that is very hard to describe and teach. Voodoo haha, I like to call it black magic.
Give her a week to adjust, remember you've literally just taken her away from everything she's ever known into an entirely new environment. I wouldn't worry too much about the leash walking, I bet it will improve if you're patient and give her time. I'm not sure I'd start a dog that young on leash training anyways.
Don't take things too fast and let her settle down. Read a few books on training, I'd recommend the Monks of New Skete's The Art of Raising a Puppy; you should be able to find it at your library.
Somebody asked the same thing a few days ago.
I can't stress how awesome The Power of Positive Dog Training is by Pat Miller. $14- Get it.
I read Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, and it wasn't good.
I also am currently reading The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual, and it has some unique stuff, but it's mostly a shortened version of The Power of Positive Dog Training.
The Art Of Raising a Puppy
> I think I'm going to buy a book to familiarize myself with them so that I can be prepared.
There are two I recommend based on how you like to get your information:
I've read that dog parks are where most dog-biting another dog incidents take place. A lot of people take them as an opportunity to let their dogs run around freely and do whatever they want with minimal supervision. I don't know about this, but it was a good enough reason for me not to take mine to one. There are plenty of dogs and space where I live, so that minimizes the attractiveness of a dog park for me.
I think it might be a better thing to practice walking on a leash where there aren't many other dogs or distractions.
>the biggest trick is going to be keeping her next to the mess as I clean up
Make her stay there (of course, without being abusive). Don't give her the option. Never let her get the idea that she's the boss -- which can easily be done without being mean. As long as you're there dealing with it, she should be too. She will get the message and eventually come to you when she needs to go out. You just need to be alert to her behavior and figure out how she is communicating this to you.
If the rest of your family are suckers for the puppy eyes, maybe you should try that on her.
**
I read this book about a year after I got me dog. It was very helpful (and interesting). It explains a lot that you might find of use:
The Dog’s Mind: Understanding Your Dog’s Behavior* by Bruce Fogle
https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Mind-Understanding-Behavior-reference/dp/0876055137/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527361282&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Dog%E2%80%99s+Mind%3A+Understanding+Your+Dog%E2%80%99s+Behavior+-+Bruce+Fogle
You might be able to get it from a public library.
Affordable and still the best.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275
http://www.amazon.com/How-Speak-Dog-Mastering-Communication/dp/074320297X?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Check out these two books and your done:
How to raise the perfect dog
How to housebreak you dog in 7 days
https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116
If you have time to read this book, there is some excellent information to combat the flawed logic of breed specific bans.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Raising-Puppy-Revised-Edition/dp/0316083275 this is a good one too.
Potty training should be more about consistency on the handlers end. Take the dog out every hour/1.5 hours and carry treats. When the dog goes potty say "go potty" during the pee or poop and then say "good!" And give a treat. After about 10 repetitions of this say go potty before the dog goes and then reward.
I laughed at the part about the puppy "respecting" you. It is a puppy. Do you expect an infant to instant-respect you and know what you expect of it without teaching it anything?
Check out Cesar Millan's book How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond. I've heard of quite a few success stories with it.
try the hardcover!